Decorate your home or altar with evergreens. This used to be a common practice. There’s also something to be said for the pine smell. In recent years, plastic decorations seem to have prevailed. However, it is my opinion that a religion that considers nature to be sacred should use items from nature to decorate, if possible. Even if you don’t have access to evergreens to decorate with, most grocery stores sell wreaths made from real evergreens. Last year, I found a branch on the ground while taking a walk and left that on my altar with some pinecones. Just make sure to discard it after the holiday so you’re not sweeping up pine needles for the next year, like I did! Here are some great ideas for decorating with evergreens.
Decorate a Yule tree. I have had the same plastic tree for a number of years now because I just can’t afford to buy real ones every year. However, we try to decorate it naturally. We string cranberries and popcorn instead of garland. Ribbons in holiday colors can be tied in knots and how’s on the branches. You can use your own or make ornaments. My son recently found some red shredded paper in a gift box and started hanging it on the tree like tinsel.
Create and light a Yule log. There are many different options when it comes to Yule logs. If you can’t have a fire, you can take a lot, drill holes in it, and place candles there. Three is a traditional number, but I have also seen seven used. It is usually created out of birch. There are some folk traditions regarding Yule logs. If it is in the hearth, it is considered unlucky to have to light it twice. If it has candles, the youngest person present must light them (though it could prove problematic if you have a baby). While it is being lit, everyone should be silent, focusing on hopes and wishes for the new year. After it is lit, all other lights are put out until the log or the candles have been burned completely. While it is burning, stories can be told and board or card games played.
Baking. One of the most Pagan baked goods you can make is a Yule Log, which is also called a Bûche de Noël. As far as baking goes, these are definitely one of the more difficult items to bake. A Swedish tea ring can symbolize the wheel of the year, but is also a more advanced bake. You don’t have to be an expert to enjoy baking at Yule though. Simple sugar cookies are great, especially if you use Pagan themed cookie cutters. Even so, regular Christmas ones can be decorated in a Pagan way. Angels can become fairies, Santa can become the Holly King, etc. There are also Celtic cakes, icicle cookies, and many other great cookie recipes out there. I have a number of family recipes from Scandinavia that are traditional for my family like serina kakar and krum kakar (kakar is the Norwegian word for cookie). Most Yule breads are a little like fruitcakes with bits of dried fruit added.
Making resolutions. Some Pagans consider Samhain to be the last Sabbat of the wheel of the year. Yule is often thought of as a time for making a fresh start and new beginnings. You can share your resolutions or keep them to yourself. Either way, try and use smart goals to ensure that you are more likely to keep your resolution. Smart goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely.
Helping the less fortunate. You can volunteer at a local soup kitchen, head a coat drive, donate food to your local food bank, or buy necessary items to give to the homeless. Even visiting local nursing homes and spending time with the residents is a kind thing to do this time of year. There are only a few Pagan charities that I am aware of. Angel Greer, author of Pagans of the Path, is heading a fundraiser to help those in need at Yule. The link will take you to her personal PayPal account, so make sure you specify that the money is for Yule. Dagda’s Cauldron, out of Ohio, I believe, is collecting food for the hungry. Here is a list of charities that, while not necessarily Pagan, many Pagans might be interested in donating money towards.
Cook and/or eat a feast. Historically, feasting was very popular this time of year. Without grocery stores and modern food preservation methods, during the winter you ate whatever you had managed to harvest and preserve. During Yule, if livestock were kept, many were slaughtered so they wouldn’t have to be fed over the winter and to provide food for the duration of the winter. Because of that, traditional Yule foods include meat, root vegetables, as well as grains and dried and preserved fruits, though in America, squash is also considered a staple.. The oldest records of Yule seem to indicate that boar or goat were the meats of choice, though any type of game was fine, including venison and pheasant. If you don’t have access to any of those foods, any other type of roasted meat is good too. Winter squashes like acorn squash, butternut squash, pumpkin, and other varieties of squash are native to the Americas, so they aren’t traditional foods for Europe, where Yule began, during this time of year, but seem to have become a holiday staple in recent years. Root vegetables were commonly consumed during this time as well. Potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, yams, turnips, and rutabagas are all good choices for a Yule feast. Wheat, the, barley, and oats were all common in Scandinavia, where Yule originated, for over 1,000 years, so they would all make excellent choices to accompany your meal. And of course, who can forget the right pudding?
Stay up all night. Because it is the l ongest night of the year, there are places where it was traditional to stay up all night long. This practice was usually combined with celebrating the rising of the sun.
Celebrate the sun rising on the morning after Yule. Traditionally, people rang bells to celebrate the return on the sun on the morning after Yule. My coven prefers to sing instead.
Sing songs. My family is particularly musical, so we love to sing. There are many Yule songs to choose from at this time of year. Here is an article I wrote on the subject. There is also a YouTube playlist that you could play as well, to set the holiday atmosphere.
Give gifts. The idea of gift-giving stems from the ancient Roman holiday of Sigillaria, which was celebrated on December 19th. Gifts were often small tokens that were not expensive, but meant something to the giver or givee. Toys were given to children. Gag gifts were common. Some expensive gifts were given, but as a general rule, most of the gifts given weren’t worth much money. Short poems on paper often accompanied the gifts, which may have been the origin of modern greeting cards.
Celebrating for multiple days. Historically, Yule (Jul back then) was celebrated for three days. It was said that with King Hakkon’s conversion to Christianity, he changed the date of Yule and passed a law that the feasting must last 12 days instead of three. However, I don’t think that’s where it came from. While 12 is a very Christian number, with the 12 disciples and all that, New Year’s Day is 12 days from Yule. In modern times, our extended family is large, so we really do end up celebrating for most of those 12 days with various relatives, partially because most of them celebrate Christmas instead. Some of you may prefer the three days or even stick with the one day.
Feed local wildlife. The simplest way to do this is to hang a bird feeder. However, some people decorate an outdoor tree with ornaments that are edible by the local wildlife. These ornaments can include strings of popcorn and cranberries, balls of diet, peanut butter and birdseed on pinecones, and dried fruit tied with bright string.
Spend time with family. Each family spends time together differently. Some love to play board games or card games. Some play video games. Every family has something they do together. My extended family gets together by all bringing homemade pizzas every year on Christmas Eve.
Spend some time outside. There is plenty to do if you have snow, such as snowmen, snowball fights, skiing, snowshoeing, etc. Even if there isn’t, you can take a walk outside and enjoy the winter, however it may be where you live.
Go a-wassailing (responsibly please). The English custom of wassailing involves going door-to-door singing. At each stop,you stay long enough to have a cup of wassail. Wassail can be alcoholic or non-alcoholic. Even if you don’t think your neighbors will participate, you can always make the drink for friends and family at home.
Leave food or offerings for mythological creatures. Christian kids leave cookies for Santa. Does the Holly King or someone else come to your house to leave presents for the kids? Leave them some food or drink they might like. Even if they don’t, now might be a good time to leave offerings to your land spirits to stay in their good grades.
Do a ritual. I intend to write a separate article on ritual ideas. When I do, I will link it here.
Celebrate Jolabokaflod. This is the Icelandic holiday where, on Christmas Eve, they all unwrap books and spend the night reading and eating chocolate. My family does something similar on Yule’s Eve.
